Star date: 24th February 2013

HUNDREDS MARCH AGAINST CUTS

Hundreds of people marched through the streets of Manchester town centre yesterday to protest against local council cuts in Greater Manchester and against the poverty making policies of the ConDem Government.

Salford campaigns represented included USUC (United Service Users Committee), Justice4Grainger and Salford Against The Cuts.

Full details and photos in Part One here…

PART ONE

Hundreds of people marched through the streets of Manchester yesterday to a rally outside Manchester Town Hall. The overall theme was against cuts being imposed by the ConDem Government, currently being implemented by local councils.

Groups represented ranged from the campaign to Save Levenshulme Baths and Library, to anti-bankers groups to the burgeoning No To The Bedroom Tax campaign. And from Salford, the now familiar sight of USUC's Mental Health Cuts Will Kill In Salford banner was joined by lots of Justice4Grainger placards and banners…

On March 3rd it will be one year since Broughton's Anthony Grainger was shot dead by police, in what campaigners believe was an execution. Justice4Grainger supporters were on the march publicising a vigil to be held next Sunday, 3rd March 1-3pm at Piccadilly Gardens… "One year on from the killing of Anthony Grainger and we've still had no answers"…

While speeches were being made at the Albert Square rally about the cuts, one protester climbed onto the Albert memorial with a sign reading People Are Dying Here!

Jimmy Thornton, from Manchester UNITE, urged communities to fight back against austerity…

"The way we win this is through our industrial strength" he said "Our communities are being attacked…We can't have another two years of this until 2015; we can make the change because the future is in our hands…"

The most poignant speech came from Ryan Bradshaw, from the Young Legal Aid Lawyers, who works on the front line with victims of the Bedroom Tax…

"These people, my clients, are now looking at making tough choices between putting food on the table or sticking the heating on" he said "How has it come to that in a first world country?"

See Part 2 where we re-print Ryan's full speech…click here

* In Salford there are the following protests coming up this week...

* Monday 25th February 5pm
Lobby of the Labour Party Group at the Civic Centre

* Wednesday 27th February 8am
Lobby of the Full Council Meeting at the Civic Centre